Billing its latest festival as a reimagined version of FestForAll, The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge this weekend is presenting Ebb & Flow, an arts celebration of the region’s connection to the Mississippi River.
As detailed in the current issue of 225, the Ebb & Flow Festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday in North Boulevard Town Square. With all manner of art, music, performances, creators, food and more, the festival aims to kick off the festival season in south Louisiana while being a showcase of the Mississippi River’s presence in Baton Rouge.
“[North Boulevard Town Square] has tons of activities, and we’re kind of all clamoring to get in that space,” Arts Council President and CEO Renee Chatelain says. “We said let’s take the resources we have—which are limited—and let’s look at what is the need right now. That started the conversation about the Mississippi River and that we, as Baton Rougeans, tend to not even think about it. We need to be excited about that again, and that’s the goal.”
Ebb & Flow is a reimagined version of FestForAll, the arts-focused festival the Arts Council has presented since 1974. Chatelain says the long-standing event came about during a time when downtown Baton Rouge needed a boost and opportunities for artists were scarce in the city. Since then, downtown has reawakened with development and cultural activities.
